Primary school pupils could be taught to master Twitter instead of learning about the Victorians, under proposed changes to the curriculum.

Sir Jim Rose, the former head of Ofsted, is due recommendations for updating the primary curriculum to ministers next month.

Three months ago he said in his interim report that primary age children need a greater understanding of information technology. In his final report he is expected to flesh this recommendation out, suggesting that children should be familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter by the time they go to secondary school.

Schools will no longer be required to teach Victorian history or the Second World War, although they can still opt to include them, the Guardian reported today.

Children will be expected to be able to place historical events which they have studied in date order under the new proposals.

Sir Jim has said his aim is to create “a primary curriculum which is challenging and constantly enriches children’s understanding, where they can apply knowledge and skills learnt in one subject to better understand another”.

The Government today played down the apparent leak. Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, said: “Sir Jim Rose’s report has not been completed let alone published yet - but we are already getting stories about dropping this or removing that from the curriculum.

“The bottom line is that we are working with experts to free up the curriculum in a way that teachers have asked us to do but British history has, and always will be, a core part of education in this country.

“Of course pupils in primary school will learn about major periods including the Romans, the Tudors and the Victorians and will be taught to understand a broad chronology of major events in this country and the wider world.”

Ministers will formally respond to Sir Jim’s proposals when they are published next month.

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